Dante and Virgil by Gustave Doré

Détails du tableau Dante et Virgile dans le 9e cercle de l'enfer, de Gustave Doré

Dante and Virgil in the Ninth Circle of Hell is one of Gustave Doré's most famous and iconic paintings. Impressive by its size and its dramatic subject, it is one of the major works of the museum of Fine Arts!

A PASSIONATE ARTIST

From his youngest age, Gustave Doré is passionate about Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, a masterpiece of Italian literature. In it, Dante recounts his visit to the afterlife in search of his beloved Beatrice, guided by the ancient poet Virgil.

In 1855, Gustave Doré began to illustrate its three parts: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. Thanks to Gustave Doré's engravings, this work became a best-seller.

However, if he is a successful draftsman and engraver, the artist also aims to be recognized as a painter. He undertakes the realization of a large format.

Illustration de l'Enfer par Gustave Doré dans La Divine Comédie de Dante Alighieri
© Bourg-en-Bresse, musée du monastère de Brou

A MONUMENTAL MASTERPIECE

This masterpiece of Gustave Doré which measures more than four meters wide still strikes many generations!

Dante, a medieval Florentine writer (in red), is accompanied by the ancient poet Virgil (in blue). At the end of their journey through hell, they discover the torment of traitors, trapped in a lake of ice.

Produced in 1861, this large-scale painting caused a sensation when it was first exhibited at the Paris Salon. Although it divided the critics in France, it was enthusiastically received in London and then in the United States, thanks to its innovative and monumental composition.

Le tableau Dante et Virgile de Gustave Doré, accroché dans le musée du monastère royal de Brou — Dante et Virgile dans le 9e cercle de l'enfer de Gustave Doré, accroché dans le musée du monastère royal de Brou
© Marine Bontemps

A RECENT RESTORATION

Acquired in 1982 by the Royal Monastery of Brou, this oil on canvas was kept in the stairwell of an American university.

Since its acquisition 40 years ago, the work has not been absent from the museum only twice. In 2014, it had left the collections temporarily for an exhibition dedicated to Gustave Doré, in Paris and then Ottawa.

During the winter of 2021-2022, it was presented in Rome at the Palazzo del Quirinale, as part of the exhibition Inferno, commemorating the death of Dante.

On the occasion of these latest loans, the work has been completely restored and its presentation improved.